Q: What equipment do pharmacy technicians use?
A: Pharmacy technicians use a wide array of equipment categorized by function: dispensing, counting, measuring, compounding, safety, and technology. The specific tools vary significantly between a retail community pharmacy and a hospital or compounding pharmacy.
Q: What are the core tools for dispensing and counting medication?
A:
- Manual Counting Tools:
- Counting Trays: A grooved tray (often with a spatula) to pour and count tablets or capsules. The most common basic tool.
- Mortar and Pestle: Used to grind tablets into powder for compounding certain medications.
- Automated Counting Machines: For high-volume dispensing, these machines accurately count pills and can label bottles, greatly increasing speed and accuracy.
- Prescription Vials and Containers: Various sizes of child-resistant and non-child-resistant vials, ointment jars, and liquid bottles.
Q: What specialized equipment is used for compounding?
A: (Primarily in hospital and specialty pharmacies)
- Class II Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC): A critical workstation for aseptically compounding sterile IV medications (like chemotherapy) to protect the product and the technician.
- Laminar Airflow Hood (LAFH): Used for non-hazardous sterile compounding.
- Electronic Balances and Scales: For precisely weighing ingredients to the milligram.
- Graduated Cylinders, Beakers, and Syringes: For accurate measurement of liquids.
- Ointment Slab and Spatula: For mixing topical creams and ointments.
Q: What technology and computer systems are central to the role?
A:
- Pharmacy Information System (PIS): The core software for entering prescriptions, managing patient profiles, processing insurance, and printing labels.
- Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs): In hospitals, these are secured units on nursing floors that techs stock and manage.
- Barcode Scanners: Used for verifying medication and inventory, crucial for safety checks.
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems: For accessing patient information in integrated healthcare settings.
Q: What safety and personal protective equipment (PPE) is used?
A:
- PPE: Gloves, gowns, masks, and safety glasses, especially when compounding hazardous drugs or sterile products.
- Safety Containers: For the disposal of needles, syringes, and other sharps.
- Spill Kits: For containing and cleaning hazardous drug spills.
Q: What is a piece of equipment unique to a retail pharmacy setting?
A: The will-call bin system alphabetized shelves or racks where filled prescriptions are stored for patient pickup is a classic organizational tool in community pharmacies.
Q: How has technology changed the equipment used?
A: Technology has shifted the focus from purely manual tasks to operating and managing automated systems. While counting trays are still used, techs now spend significant time interacting with complex software, robotic dispensers, and barcode inventory systems, making digital literacy as important as manual dexterity.
For resources on the practical skills and knowledge needed to operate in technical professional environments, you can explore certilyst.com.